Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1887-01-26
COLUMN.
Conducted by the W. G. 7. IT,, Elk Point. Oak
THE prsTrLLHR vs.. THE FARMER.

THE DIsTlLLER VS.. THE FARMER.
Once upon time l CHANGED to stand
in meat market soon after six
o'clock Saturday night. Men from
the machine shops were there get
ting supplies for Sunday dinners.
l noticed with surprise how little
some Of them bought. One in partic-
ular took only bit of liver, remark
ing as he handed over the few cents
asked for it, "This is all that is left
of my weeks wages" Just then in
came Charley, the rotund saloon
keeper whose saloon is on the street
leading from the machine shops to
the market. He is big, pompous
fellow, and walking up to the counter
with I-am-monarch- of-all- I-survey,
air ordered the incest roast in the
shop, pulled big roll Of bank bills,
handed one to the clerk to pay for
the meat and went out. ! saw that
jim, the liver buyer, stood watching
him moodily, and that Il peculiar
look came over his face as his eye
rested on the blu Charley paid, them
glanced from the nice, juicy roast
which was to be Charley's dinner to
the insignificant bundle in his own
hand.
AS Charley passed out, Jim turned
to his shop mates and said See
here; don't you know we're fools !!
That bill Charley paid for that roast
is the very one l paid him for liquor
not half an hour ago. It's gone to
buy his family good Sunday din
ner, while mine can have but liver.
Next week am going to keep away
from his internal soloon and see if
my folks can't have roast beef for
their Sunday dinner" Let's all try
it," they said, and went out discus
sing the question of Sunday dinners
vs. whiskey.
Curiosity led me to the same mar
ket at the same time the following
Saturday. In came the same peo-
pile; but I noticed that every one of
those shop men bought a roast of
beef, and great was the chuckling
among them when Charley walked
in with long face, saying, II never
did see such luck as I've hap this
week never had such a poor week
for trade in my life; believe l won't
indulge in q roast, but will take some
OF that liver"
All of which set me to thinking
We were near neighbors to Peoria
with its mammoth distilleries. My
work took me among the farmers;
everywhere among them my temper.
ance appeals were met with, 1--WE
don't drink, nor wish to; but if you
temperance folks shut up the distil-
leries there'll be no market for our
corn" l KNEW they were wrong. but
could see no way to prove it to them,
till the incident in the meat market
let in food of light upon the ques-
ton. l began to investigate. The
first step was to write to the internal
revenue commissioner at Peoria, to
see how much whisky was made out
Of bushel of corn. Waiting his
answer l asked Jack, Charley S son,
who was pupil of mine and my good
friend, how many drinks there were
in gallon of whisky. "Well," he
said, that depends on how big the
the drinks are; but near as l calculate
they run about fifty to a gallon"
The commissioner replied, 81 have
the honor to say that fair average
production of spirits from bushel
Of corn for the period of one year is
from 16A to III quarts"
Then | went to figuring. Allow
ing each man to take but four drinks
day ut FIVE cents each, a low aver
age you will allow, he would spend
each day twenty cts. for his whisky.
In the course of the year that
mounts up to over seventy dollars,or
Just about as much as a whole beef
would cost him, bought at the mar
ket along as he needed it during the
year. My housekeeping experience
convinced me that medium sized
family would consume that amount
of beefin a year-if they could get
it.
The next thing to figure on was the
amount Of corn used in making the
whiskey. Four drinks a day give
l 490 year; taking Jacks average
of fifty drinks to a gallon this calls
for twenty-nine and one half gallons
Of whisky, 1T quarts. To make this
amount will require, according to
the commissioners figures, not quite
seven bushels of corn. This, mind
you, on the supposition that there
is no ''crookedness" in the whiskey,
nor any adulteration in the drinks;
we give the distiller ull the benefit
Of the doubt.
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